Steve Scalise might have an outside chance but it is not clear he even wants the job.
There are three choices the Republicans have
1) Kevin McCarthy elected with full support of the small minority of Conservative House Republicans. In this case, the Conservatives and the Freedom Caucus are allies of McCarthy and have a seat at the table to push the Conservative agenda with McCarthy's support, such as it is.
2) Kevin McCarthy elected Speaker with the opposition of a very small minority of conservatives who are ignoring the political reality. In this case, McCarthy forms a coalition with Rinos and Democrats to get elected. In this case conservatives are enemies, banished to wander the political wilderness for a number of years and have no seat at the table. They will be ignored as McCarthy consults with Nancy Pelosi on the House Agenda going forward. The whole conservative agenda, not just MAGA, will be dead in the water and sinking
3) Someone else than McCarthy. This person will likely need the Democrat stamp of approval to get elected and will be Nancy Pelosi’s sock puppet. Unless it's Scalise, that person will be much worse than McCarthy could ever be and under the reality of the House make up, Scalise would not be much different than McCarthy.
That's the practical reality of our bitterly divided House and slim minority.
Conservatives are fighting over Chevies and Fords when they should just be happy with a domestic truck.
Or McCarthy does the honorable thing and RESIGNS.
Unless he wants to be the first leader in history to lose the speaker vote should 5 stay strong.
Yes, A loser. Perhaps a fitting epitaph...
The one option that is always off the table… is that establishment GOP support the conservatives choice. You are saying the GOP would literally throw in with democrats rather than deal with the freedom caucus.
By the way, when has that seat at the table done anything for us? Obamacare still here. Wall still not built. Etc.
Re: 17 - Good post that lays out the most likely outcomes.
That didn't happen, so McCarthy it is.